Uncommon Knowledge
by RoguesKnight
Summary: AU BtVS Season Three X-Men movie crossover. Xander's roadtrip takes him quite a bit beyond Oxnard. What happens when he meets a girl running from herself? XanderMarie (pre-Rogue) friendship. R. Finally COMPLETE! YAY
1. The White Knight Rides Again

Uncommon Knowledge  
  
Summary: AU BtVS season three/ X-Men movie crossover. Xander's road trip takes him quite a bit further than Oxnard. What happens when he meets a young woman on the run from herself? Xander/Marie (pre Rogue) friendship. Rated PG-13, just to be safe.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men or Buffy. They are owned by Marvel Entertainment, and Joss Whedon and Mutant enemy respectively. As far as I know, Nicholas Brendon and Anna Paquin own themselves.  
  
Dedication: To my wonderful fiancée, who's helped me to find myself. Also to Nicholas Brendon (Xander) and Anna Paquin (Marie/Rogue) for their stellar performances in their respective roles.  
  
A/N: Probably a one shot here, but I do have ideas for a potential sequel set post X2. Let me know what you think of this and if you'd be interested in seeing a sequel.  
  
Xander Harris leaned back in the small booth with a contented sigh as he waited for his food to arrive. He'd always wanted to see Nashville, the home of the music of pain, and now here he was. He'd been in the city for little over a week and still it fascinated him. Unlike Sunnydale, Nashville actually brimmed with life and activity, even at close to midnight. If he needed any proof of that life all he had to do was take a look around the small diner he was seated in; there were people of almost all ages sitting at tables or crammed into booths like his, and even at the late hour, the waitresses were kept busy rushing orders out to the patrons. Glancing out the window, he felt a wave of relief wash over him as he could see that his car was still in the parking lot. A close call with a couple of would-be car thieves in New Mexico had reminded him that danger didn't always come with fangs or claws. * I'm just being paranoid * he reasoned * the parking lot's well lit, and this is a decent area. It's not too likely that someone would be crazy enough to try anything here.* No matter how paranoid he felt, he couldn't resist checking on the car when he left it for any length of time, and he'd started being more cautious when walking at night. At first, he'd chalked it up to years of fighting alongside Buffy, but he was becoming more and more aware that the soldier and hyena memories in him had reawakened since New Mexico. * Fortunately they aren't that hard to control * he thought * Without Buffy around, I'm the Alpha, the Major, they don't need to prove themselves as much*. He was shaken from his musings by a young blonde with blue eyes and a pretty smile setting his coffee down on the table. The worn and faded nametag on her equally faded uniform identified her as Tammy.  
  
" Hey, sorry about the wait. Your food should be out in just a couple more minutes. It's not normally this busy at this time of night," she apologized. " It's ok," he smiled lazily, turning on the old Xander charm, " I'm in no hurry". Amazingly, the old Xander charm seemed to work for a change, and she blushed slightly before heading to her next table. Taking a drink of his much needed coffee as sudden thought struck him * Wait..I could charm her? Awww damn, she's a demon or some other evil creature knowing my luck.* He chuckled, almost hearing Willow and Buffy reminding him about his track record with women. With a sigh, he set the cup back down, his mind drifting back to his two best friends. It had been a month since he had left Sunnydale on his intended cross country trip. He'd sent them each post cards from the different stops on the way, occasionally he'd even send a little souvenir. He wondered what they'd think of the petrified wood he'd mailed them from Arizona. * Wills probably knew what it was right off the bat. Buffy probably thought I'd lost my mind and just mailed her a rock for the hell of it..nah, she's more likely used it to bludgeon something to death *. No matter how strange they were they were his girls. His thoughts were once again interrupted by the arrival of Tammy, setting down his order, a half pound hamburger and fries.  
  
" Is there anything else I can get you, sir?" she asked politely, weariness evident in her strained smile. * Sir..how weird does that sound? * he mused. " No thanks Tammy. And don't bother with calling me sir. My name's Alexander Harris. My friends and beautiful waitresses can call me Xander though," he said. Tammy beamed, the smile reaching her eyes at the casual compliment, " Well if there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask." With that, she was off again, and Xander thought he could detect an extra bit of bounce in her step as she went about her job. * Good going X- Man * he thought, taking a big bite of his burger. * Wonder if she has a boyfriend* He paused, wondering where the hell that had come from. Sure, she was friendly and attractive, but he'd only been in town a week and he would probably be leaving again soon. Especially if he wanted to complete his trip; even in a low end motel like the one he was rooming in, a week's stay was beginning to eat at his funds. It'd be nice to have enough money to make it back to Sunnydale. * Or would it ? * he wondered, taking another bite, * Buffy and Wills will be starting at UC Sunnydale in the fall. It's not like they'll have a ton of time to spend with a townie. * If he were completely honest with himself, they hadn't had a lot of time to spend with him during the past few months of high school either. Willow, when not researching the Ascension, had spent nearly all her time with Oz; and it had been the same for Buffy and Angel. Even with slaying matters, he was often pushed off to the side. * Maybe a change of plan is in order. There are worse things I could do than settle down here and see what kind of life I could have * Rolling the thought around in his mind he finished off his burger, and picked up the paper he'd brought in with him, every now and then munching on a fry.  
  
The front page of the paper was plastered with the headline " Mutants: The threat hidden among us". * Yea, people notice mutants, who've by and large done nothing. But a demon tries to end the world, and nobody notices that * he mentally scoffed. Scanning the article, he saw it was standard anti-mutant rhetoric, another voice calling for the passage of the Mutant Registration Act. Despite his disgust at the prejudicial slant politicians like Senator Kelly used against mutants, he shuddered, reading the Senator's comments at a recent hearing on mutants on Capital Hill, referring to mutants " powerful enough to enter our minds and control our thoughts, taking away our god given free will.". * Great, that's all we need. A mutant telepath deciding to visit Sunnydale and getting vamped * the soldier spoke inside his head. It was a definitely disturbing proposition he knew, but the MRA wasn't the solution. Finishing the article, Xander flipped the paper open to the classifieds looking for anything he could possibly be qualified for. * Bright side of good old Sunnyhell high being blown up, my permanent record's toast * he smiled. Even with that in his favor, it didn't look very promising. A few restaurant positions he might be able to fill, a used car sales job, a temp agency looking for typists. * Nuts, there goes the settle down plan * he thought * Guess it'll be finish up my trip and back home to the wonderful world of being a Bucky's Fondue Hut boy by day and punching bag for the forces of evil by night*.  
  
" Looking for a job..Xander?" Tammy asked, pausing by his table for a  
moment. Startled, he jumped slightly, " Yep, it doesn't look like I'm  
going to find one though. The pickings are pretty slim. This place isn't  
hiring by any chance is it?". She shook her head sadly, " Sorry, we're  
full up right now. However," she looked around to make sure no one was  
paying attention to how much time she spent on this one customer, " my  
uncle has his own construction company, and they're always looking for a  
guy or two to help out at the sites. You look like you're in pretty good  
shape, why don't you give him a call, see if he needs anyone right now?"  
She quickly scribbled down a name and numbed on a scratch piece of paper  
and handed it to him " I could put in a good word for you too, if you'd  
like. And maybe show you around town.I mean, things the tourists usually  
ignore," she added, scribbling down another number and slipping it to  
him, " That's my home number.". Noticing other patrons starting to get  
impatient, she smiled and said loudly enough for the closest table to  
hear, " Is there anything else you'd like sir?".  
  
Xander smiled, " Just the check when you get a chance." She pulled the  
folder with Xander's bill from her apron and set it on the table, " I'll  
be back in a bit. Take your time." With that, she was off, tending to the  
more impatient patrons. The bill wasn't too much, and given the tip she'd  
given him about the job, Xander decided to leave her a nice tip as well.  
Looking in his wallet, he carefully pulled out a twenty, more than twice  
the total on the bill, and slipped it into the folder before standing and  
heading out of the door. Part of him felt guilty about not staying to  
thank her for the tip, but another part had the distinct feeling that she  
wouldn't let him leave her as good a tip if he had stayed. The warm night  
air washed over him, lifting his spirits on it, * I just hope Wills isn't  
too upset if the job works out," he thought as he walked towards his  
car. Construction, a normal job and one that usually paid fairly well,  
not working for minimum wage and fighting for his life every night.  
Things were definitely looking up. He was nearly to the door when a  
scream shattered the calm night, " Help! Somebody help me!" * I should  
have seen that coming* he thought sarcastically. Despite his sarcasm, his  
feet were rapidly heading away from the car and towards the direction of  
the scream, running on instinct, the soldier and hyena acting in concert  
with years of slaying to lead him cautiously towards the mouth of a dark  
alley. * Unless it's a vamp, I'm probably in way too deep over my head*  
he thought. It didn't stop him from slipping the stake he kept in his  
jacket's inner pocket out into his hand and creeping into the alley;  
every sense alert for trouble.  
  
It wasn't too hard to find it turned out. At the end of the alley, a  
large man was standing over the form of a young woman, Xander couldn't  
make out too many details from his distance, but she didn't seem to be in  
immediate danger. She'd backed away from the man as far as she could, a  
good two or three feet separating them. * Ok kid * the soldier said *  
just take it slow, then you can get the drop on him * The hyena simply  
urged him to hunt, to kill and Xander shook it off with only slight  
difficulty, edging close enough to hear the two figures at the alley's  
end. " Please," the young woman whimpered, " don't do this. You don't  
want to touch me. Really." The man just laughed, tossing his head back,  
revealing the distinctive facial ridges of a vampire, " Oh, I'm going to  
do more than touch you girlie".  
* God, do they have a hand book for bad lines like that? * Xander  
wondered, thankful that the problem he was facing was a familiar one *  
huh, never thought I'd be thankful to see a vamp *.  
" Ah'm warning you. Whatever you are, don't touch me" the young woman  
said. Despite the slight tremor in her voice, Xander could detect the  
steel underneath, something the vamp either didn't or consciously chose  
to ignore. " And what'll happen if I do girlie?" he snarled, advancing on  
her. " You'll get hurt" she said simply. The simple, honest declaration  
stopped the vampire in his tracks as he broke down in a momentary fit of  
laughter. * Time to make my entrance * Xander thought. " I'd listen to  
the lady if I were you ass face," he said, stepping away from the  
shadows. Both individuals turned to look at him at the same time. "  
Please," the young woman asked, clearly afraid, " help me." . " Don't  
worry ma'am," Xander said, tipping an imaginary hat to her, " this'll  
only take a minute."  
  
" You've got that right," the vampire growled, clearly not amused. "  
You, don't go anywhere girlie. I think you'll make a pretty sweet dessert  
after I deal with this clown". Grabbing her exposed throat, he slammed  
her against the wall. It was the last mistake he would ever make. As soon  
as his cool undead hand made contact with her exposed skin, they both  
began to scream, until the vampire let her drop to the ground, barely  
standing himself. Xander didn't know what the hell had just happened, but  
he wasn't going to let a good opportunity pass him by. Rushing forward,  
he tackled the vamp to the ground and drove the stake into its heart,  
dusting it. " Ok, so I lied," he grinned, " it took less than a minute."  
Standing in front of the dazed young woman, Xander had a chance to get a  
good look at her. She was young, perhaps seventeen or eighteen like  
himself, with a very delicate build that hinted at not having eaten for a  
while. She had long brown hair and large expressive brown eyes. Her eyes  
were the most telling thing about her, it was as if she'd seen too much  
too soon. He knew that look all to well; it'd been in his own eyes in the  
bathroom mirror every morning since he learned the reality of the world.  
" Hey, are you alright?" he asked, offering her a hand up * Hmmm she's  
wearing gloves in this weather? * was his last thought, before one of her  
gloved hands turned into a fist and caught him squarely in the jaw,  
knocking him to the other side of the alley with its force. 


	2. Damsel in distress not

Uncommon Knowledge Chapter 2: Damsel in distress..not!  
  
Disclaimer: I own neither Buffy the Vampire Slayer, nor X-Men Evolution. In other words, I'm just borrowing Xander and Marie for a bit. I'll return them unharmed.relatively speaking, please, don't sue.  
  
Dedication: To my wonderful fiancée, I miss you sweetheart!!  
  
Special thanks: to my reviewers who've kept the positive words coming despite the lack of updating. Speaking of which, I want to thank you guys for your patience. The past couple of weeks I've had 50+ hours at work and been exhausted when I got home, thanks for being so patient.  
  
Without further ado...  
  
Marie stared at her hand in astonishment, wondering just what the hell that thing had been and refusing to believe what her eyes and mind told her * Vampires aren't real * she thought fiercely * It's just not possible *. Still, her mysterious rescuer had dispatched the thing with a wooden stake and it had crumbled into dust. * My god, he saves my life from something out of a horror movie and Ah punch him out. Ah hope he's ok* Standing shakily, she walked to Xander's prone form. A dark purple spot had already begun to form on his jaw where she'd hit him, but aside from that, unconsciousness seemed to be the only thing wrong with him. * Ah'd better check just to be sure * Carefully, she placed two gloved fingers against his neck, and finding a strong steady pulse, breathed a sigh of relief * Thank god, the last thing Ah need is a murder on my conscience. * She slowly pulled her hand away from his neck and turned to leave when something stopped her, a craving more powerful than anything she'd felt before. * He's down, ours, feed * a voice rasped inside her head. Marie squeezed her eyes shut, it was never easy, dealing with this curse of hers, but she'd never been so tempted to give in to the mental commands from those she'd absorbed before. Unconsciously she turned back to the young man who'd saved her, her eyes locked on his throat. She could swear she could see his pulse point, throbbing, inviting her to feed. * Do it! * the voice commanded again * Take his blood, his strength, feed.* Licking her lips, Marie could almost taste the coppery warm blood, and the pleasure she got from that feeling scared her more than anything she'd seen so far that evening.  
  
Despite her disgust at the thought of tearing into her savior's throat, Marie climbed atop of his body, knocking the offensive wooden weapon from his hand in the process, and leaned down towards his neck. * Yes! * the voice in her head rasped, * feed, feed and know true strength, power, yours for the taking *. With a hiss, Marie bared her teeth and lowered her head closer to his neck. Just as her teeth were about to contact the tender skin of his throat, her savior spoke, causing her to pull back, startled. " So, by Southern hospitality, people really mean punching you out in an alley. I'll have to remember that" Xander smiled, and quickly decided against it as he felt the slight pain in his jaw. Marie studied him silently, noting that he wasn't afraid of her at all.  
  
*Damn! * the voice in her head fumed, * it's almost not worth it if he's not afraid. It adds such a delightful flavor to the blood. Oh well, we can take bland blood every now and then.feed!* However, this time the voice wasn't as strong, and Marie simply sat staring dumbly at the young man beneath her. " Ok, so my humor needs a little work," Xander said, " And not that I have a problem waking up with an attractive young woman sitting on top of me, I generally prefer to know her name first. I'm Xander by the way." As she sat there, Xander got an even better look at her than he had before dealing with the vamp. Her brown hair wasn't quite shoulder length, unkempt and roughly pulled away from her face. Her haunted eyes seemed a bit sunken in, dark circles surrounding them, and her cheeks looked a little thinner than they should. * I wonder how long she's been living on the streets * he thought. He was so caught up in looking at her that he almost missed the whispered " Marie, my name's Marie".  
  
" Pleased to meet you Marie. I'd say that you hit like a girl, but there's only a few girls I know who can hit like that. You're not a slayer by any chance are you?" From the "Did he suffer some sort of head trauma" look Marie was giving him, Xander figured that wasn't the case. " Ok, you're obviously not much of a talker. That's ok, I can handle the talking for both of us. Which would be a tad easier if you weren't perched on my stomach." Marie blushed, snapping out of her temporary stupor and scrambled off, backing cautiously into the shadows and studying him as he stood up and brushed himself off. He wasn't too much older than she was as far as she could see, toned without being too muscular, kind of handsome in a rough sort of way. His clothes were well worn, as was his denim jacket, but obviously clean * He's got somewhere to be, a home," she thought morosely, * Why would he care about a runaway freak like me? Why did he save my life? Does it even matter? * Sensing that her rescuer was on his way to asking some questions she didn't feel like answering, even if she could, she simply turned and began to walk away towards the entrance of the alley. She didn't make it too far, as she was stopped by a hand, firmly but gently grasping her shoulder. " Are you alright?" Xander asked, concern filling his voice, " I mean, aside from the whole being attacked by a stranger in an alley"  
  
" Peachy" She replied gruffly, shrugging his hand from its resting place on her shoulder, " Ah appreciate you jumping in there and saving me and all, but if you'll forgive me, Ah've got somewhere Ah have to be". She began walking again, quicker this time, hoping he'd believe the lie and just leave her alone. Given that fate had cursed her once in her life already, it was really no surprise that her hopes were in vain. " Really?". It was a statement more than a question, as if he already knew the answer and was calling her on the lie. A sudden anger filled her and she whirled around, marching back to him * Who the hell is he to judge me? Does he think that saving my life gives him a right to know all about it? If he does he's got another thing coming * She briefly considered purposely taking her gloves off and knocking him out, but decided it would be more satisfying to give him a piece of her mind instead of taking a piece of his. She stopped barely a foot from him, glaring, " No. Not really. But then, it's none of your business if Ah don't have anywhere to go, now is it? What could it possibly matter to you? You don't have to worry about finding somewhere to sleep tonight where no one's gonna try and kill you, or worse, do you?" Xander stood quietly, letting her rage at him, wondering if he should have just let her go on her way. * Yea, like you could have kid * the soldier sneered in his mind * Angelus was right about you, you're a goddamn white knight. One of these days it's going to get you into trouble*. Giving the soldier a mental command to shut up, he focused on the young woman in front of him, who appeared to be waiting for an answer.  
  
" You're right," he said, " I don't have to worry about those things. I've been remarkably lucky. And no, it's not my business what you do with your life." Marie stared at him in shock, some of her anger draining away with his words, she hadn't actually expected an acknowledgement that she was right. Her shock grew with his next few words, " However, I've seen too many people, friends and otherwise, put into graves far too early over the past few years and I've come to realize that every life matters. Not that I'm calling you my friend, I admit I know nothing about you. And this isn't born of some religious experience, I'm not going to preach to you about getting off of the streets or going back home, trying to work out whatever issues caused you to run out. I am, on the other hand, going to offer you dinner; that is, if you don't have anywhere to be right now." He smiled gently, taking in the shock evident in her eyes; he was so focused on her eyes that he barely had time to register the shock quickly transitioning back to anger, as her gloved fist once again connected with his jaw. Fortunately, the punch was a good deal weaker than her first, and he stayed on his feet.  
  
" So that's it, you think Ah'm some little whore, that you can buy off with dinner" She hissed, her eyes blazing. This time the gloves did come off; having him trapped in her head be damned, there was no way she was going to let him call her a whore. Placing a hand to his jaw, Xander backed away, * Damn, she just had to hit the same spot, didn't she? * he thought as his back pressed against the cold stone of the wall behind him. Watching her slow advance, he briefly wondered if this was the time trying to be a hero would get his ass kicked. Desperately, ignoring the pain in his jaw, he tried again, " No, it's not like that at all. I just meant dinner, no strings attached. You don't even have to have a conversation with me if you don't want to." Marie paused, her hands just inches from his face, feeling her stomach grumble at the thought of hot food for a change. It seemed like forever since she'd had a decent meal, and he sounded sincere. " Alright" she said softly, slipping her gloves carefully back on. " That is if you can forgive me for slugging you again. It's just that Ah've had bad experiences with..other men..since Ah've been on my own" A memory threatened to surface in her mind and she quickly stomped it back down with a shudder.  
  
Xander heard the hesitation and pain in her voice, and coupled with the slight shudder that ran through her body, he had no doubts as to what she meant. Forcing a smile for her sake, he carefully touched the bruise on his jaw, " Forgive you for this? Please, I can't even feel it. I've taken so many blows to the head that I'm used to it" Noticing the slight smile that flashed across her face, he decided against correcting himself and extended his hand " So what do you say? Dinner, on me? I know a diner not to far from here that's open all night". Her smile widened, and he could see it in her eyes, " Ah say just one minute". Xander watched curiously as she darted back down the alley and retrieved a beaten up duffel bag before rejoining him at the entrance. " Ah hope you don't mind. Ah just didn't want to leave my clothes and things where just anyone could find them." Xander smiled, once again offering her his hand, which to his surprise she took, " Not at all, I can completely understand." With that, he led her back out of the alley and towards the diner he had only recently vacated. 


	3. Meals Mutants And Musings, oh my!

Uncommon Knowledge Chapter 3: Meals, mutants and musings.oh my!  
  
Disclaimer: I sadly own neither X-Men nor Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Nicholas Brendon and Anna Paquin own themselves, I'm fairly certain. I'm just borrowing Xander and Marie for a bit, I'll return them no more harmed than their owners have harmed them. Tammy is mine. However, the opinions she expresses are her sole property, and not endorsed by the author of this fic. I am personally against the Mutant Registration Act.  
  
Dedication: To my wonderful fiancée. I love you!!! 'nuff said.  
  
Special Thanks: To my reviewers. Thanks for putting up with the sporadic nature of these updates. It looks like I'm going to have a couple more 50+ hr work weeks ahead of me before the summer's over. Yea.I hate it too...  
  
And now true believers, we return to our semi-regularly scheduled fic  
  
Tammy leaned back against an empty booth with a relieved sigh as she watched the last of the late night customers exit the diner. With a smile, she closed her eyes and was about to indulge in a fantasy about the handsome young man who had flirted with her not even an hour ago * Alexander * she thought * I mean Xander. I hope he gives Uncle Dave a call and decides to stick around for a little while...maybe a long while *. It'd been a long while since she'd had a boyfriend who hadn't grown up in the same area as she had and most of them had come to view her as a little sister, hence unsuitable for continued dating. As a result, she had plenty of guy friends, but sometimes she wished for a little more * Definitely, some fresh blood wouldn't be a bad thing around here * she thought. Further thoughts of Xander were interrupted by the chime of the bell attached to the diner's front door. Groaning, Tammy opened her eyes and glanced in the direction of the sound, taking note of a slender figure in a beaten up green trench coat and holding an even more beaten up duffel standing in the doorway, glancing furtively around, as if she wasn't used to being in such brightly lit areas. Pushing herself away from the booth, Tammy headed towards the young woman, steeling her heart for what she knew she had to do; it wasn't easy to turn away the homeless who'd wander in from time to time looking for change or to use the restrooms, but the diner's policy strictly laid out that restrooms were for paying customers only and that change was not to be given except in exchange for cash money or as part of a bill. She was about to launch into the well learned, polite, speech asking the young woman to please leave when the runaway turned and faced her head on. Her dark eyes were the most telling feature of her young face, Tammy decided, trying not to see the pain and fear in them, as she soundlessly worked her mouth, struggling to bring the words that would turn the poor girl back into the night into her mouth.  
  
Fortunately, the second chime from the door saved her from having to say anything. " You know, for a short girl who obviously hasn't had anything in awhile, Marie, you sure have a lot of energy. Most people don't run headlong through parking lots late at night without looking around" Xander said, coming up behind her and placing his hand on her shoulder with a gentle squeeze , " Well, ok so I do it, but usually cause something really nasty's chasing me, but most normal people don't" he added. The young runaway blushed slightly, a small smile tugging at her lips, " Ah can't help it if you're just slow. And how often do nasty things chase you?" she asked curiously, " Don't tell me you play knight in shining armor on a regular basis". Seeing an opening Tammy quickly grabbed the two's attention, " Hi, I'm Tammy, and I'll be your waitress tonight here at the Moon Song. Do you need a table for two, or will anyone else be joining you?". Throwing a curious glance in Xander's direction she added, " Just couldn't get enough when you were here earlier, huh Xander?". " Table for two will be fine," He answered, " And how could I stay away from an all night diner with great food and a beautiful waitress." Tammy beamed and began leading the pair to an out of the way table, a thousand questions running through her mind. The girl was obviously a runaway, did that mean Xander was too? What else could be possibly want with her if he wasn't a runaway himself? A few answers quickly popped into her head, none of them pleasant and she even more quickly brushed them away. She didn't know how she knew, but something told her that Xander wasn't the type to take advantage of someone in need of help. * What was that she said, about knight in shining armor ? * Glancing back, she saw clearly the dark purple bruise on Xander's jaw and the questions in her mind intensified. * I'll ask later * she decided. Waving at the table, she asked " Will this be alright?"  
  
" It's fine with me," Xander said, smiling as he turned to his companion, " what do you think Marie?" ." Yea, it's fine" she replied quietly, sliding into a chair without another word and setting her duffel under the table, looking anywhere but at Xander or Tammy. Xander plunked down into the chair across from her and smiled as Tammy handed him two menus. " So what can I start you two off with?" she asked, pulling a pen and pad from her greasy apron. " I'll just have a coffee," Xander said, " But I think Marie here will start out with a nice, thick, strawberry milkshake. She may need a few minutes with the menu though before she'll be ready to order anything else." Tammy smiled and took Xander's menu back from him as he set the other in front of Marie, "Go ahead and take your time with the menu I'll be right back with your drinks" Tammy smiled prettily and strolled off to place the drink order, trying not to show her discomfort at Marie's presence. " You don't have to do this you know." Marie whispered, staring intently at the table top, " Ah'm not some charity case. Ah can take care of myself, Ah have been for the past couple months and Ah'm still here, so Ah must be doing something right." Xander reached over, intending to lift her chin so he could see her eyes when she jerked back slightly, staring at him like he was crazy. He made a mental note of her reaction, and brushed it aside for the moment, meeting her eyes, " I know I don't have to Marie. I want to. Like I told you earlier, I've seen too many young people put in the ground before their time. If there's something I can do to prevent that by even one night for someone, I'm going to."  
  
Marie let his words sink in, trying to make sense of them.* What kind of life has he had that he's so familiar with death at only eighteen * she wondered opening the menu and fighting to ignore the rumbling of her stomach as she perused the selection. They sat in comfortable silence for a bit, Marie studying the menu with Xander studying her, listening to the soft country music being played over the radio. * Why'd she pull away? I wasn't going to hurt her * he wondered. Something primal, what he'd come to recognize as the hyena, tugged at his mind as he recalled her warning the vamp not to touch her, that he'd get hurt, and then their mutual reaction to his touching her. * Her scent is off * the hyena whispered in his mind * Dangerous, wild..rogue..she has no pack * He shook it off, as he always did. The hyena was something he'd really rather have left buried, he didn't care for the memories of his actions when it'd possessed him completely sophomore year. He was about to ask if she'd found anything interesting when the sound of a news report breaking in in the middle of a song caught both of their attention.  
  
" Rioting has broken out in a Knoxville suburb this evening," a man's voice said, and behind it was clearly the sound of emergency vehicles and shouting, " Though details are sketchy at best, it seems that the cause of the riot was the refusal of two residents, James and Sarah Morris, to hand over their children, six month old Kayla and two year old Jessie, to an organization tentatively identified as the "Friends of Humanity". Apparently, the children in question had been recently exposed at their local daycare center as being mutants. One moment.." Xander and Marie both stared intently at the speaker in the ceiling, wearing identical expressions of concern, though neither noticed the other, " ..I have just been informed that none of the Morris family has survived the riot and that several "Friends of Humanity" members have been taken into custody, it is not known at this time what if any specific charges will be brought against them." Xander glanced at Marie and noticed her wiping roughly at her eyes with her gloved hand. " Here," he said gently, handing her a napkin from the dispenser. Silently, she took it from him, dabbing at the tears that continued to well in her eyes as they listened to the continuation of the broadcast " We have a live commentary from Senator Kelly on Capital Hill, who has been made aware of this tragedy." Xander rolled his eyes disgustedly, waiting to hear what the bigoted Senator would have to say. " While I certainly do not condone the murder of any American citizen, be it human or mutant," the Senator said, " This is clear evidence of the need to pass the Mutant Registration Act. It provisions for the establishment of both integrated and separate housing communities, so those who have issues living in the same neighborhood as mutants do not have to do so, while those who do not see the threat mutants pose to our society, may live near them. I honestly believe that this horrific tragedy could have been avoided if the Senate had passed the act when I first introduced it months ago instead of allowing it to be bogged down in debate on the floor." The station concluded the report, transitioning back to music, and Xander and Marie sat in silence, each mulling over the report.  
  
" God, I hope that act gets passed soon" Tammy interrupted their thoughts, setting the drinks on the table. " I'd hate to serve some mutant. I mean, what if they didn't like their order? Or just didn't feel like paying? They could make my head explode or something like that". * Which would be a vast improvement * both Xander and Marie thought at the same time. " You don't see the danger in something like that?" Xander spoke up, causing both girls to stare at him. " What do you mean? The act is to reveal the danger of mutants in our society. Not all of them can be identified on sight you know, some look like normal people. For all I know, you and.is it Marie?..could both be mutants" Tammy laughed, as if the idea were the most ridiculous in the world, not noticing how Marie suddenly went rigid. Xander however, caught the tensing of her muscles, and things started to make a lot more sense. " The danger of that act is there's no clearly defined stopping point. Are only mutants who have powers to be registered? Or are they including simple physical mutations like scales or an extra finger or something, even if they just look different? And if they want to get technical, what about birth defects? Many of them are caused by minor mutations in genes in development. Who has the final say in what counts as mutation? I just think this whole thing is going to get a lot uglier if they actually try registering American citizens based on genetic differences; or have we learned nothing from Nazi Germany?" he finished, aware that his tirade had had profoundly different effects on the two women.  
  
Tammy was staring at him as if he'd sprouted a third eye, while Marie was actually smiling, something close to admiration in her eyes. " Can I take your order?" Tammy asked Marie, clearly wanting to change the subject. " Ah think Ah'll just stick with the milkshake" she replied. Noticing the look Xander was giving her, she added, " After hearing about that, Ah don't think Ah could keep anything down right now." Resigned, Xander just nodded and sipped his as Marie handed her menu back to Tammy. " Take your time" Tammy said, walking off, all thoughts of Xander as possible boyfriend material fading from her mind. Xander watched Marie quietly work on her milkshake, gathering up his courage. Finally he asked, " You're a mutant, aren't you Marie?"  
  
( Author's note: Yes, I'm evil, leaving it off on a cliffhanger like this. I blame Marie, it was her idea. As for the formatting on dialogue, I know it could use some work, but I just type as it all flies into my head, and I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the concept of easy to type isn't always the easiest to read.) 


	4. Author's note

Author's note. Sorry for the delay in getting chapters up people, work's still kicking my ass. I think I actually put in 60 hrs this past week (15 of those on the fourth of July, and what fun that was I can tell you.). However, with the fourth behind me, work will hopefully slow back down to normal levels and I can finally get these things written. Believe me, you're not the only ones impatient to see what happens. Xander and Marie are too..try living with those two stuck in your head for a couple of weeks...I'll hopefully have something up next week though. 


	5. Revelations and Propositions

Uncommon Knowledge Chapter 4: Revelations and Propositions  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own them. Wish I did, then I wouldn't be working more than fifty hours a week somewhere I hate. As it is, Xander and Marie are the respective properties of Mutant Enemy and Marvel productions. Despite a certain reviewer, who shall remain nameless, trying to kill her off, Tammy is mine, though she's for sale if you want her.  
  
Dedication: To my wonderful and beautiful fiancée. I love you!  
  
Special Thanks: To my wonderful readers and reviewers, thanks for putting up with me. Hence my trying to get this up before the weekend, I'd call it a special treat, but I'm not sure how good it really is.but you know how muses can be when they speak, you must write.  
  
Her body went rigid, the straw through which she'd been drinking her milkshake dropping silently back into her glass. He'd asked the question. The one question who's answer she'd been running from since that afternoon with Cody three months ago; since her first kiss. Desperately, she tried to pretend that the words had had no effect on her. " A mutant?" she asked softly with a forced laugh, " Do Ah look like Ah have horns or a tail or something? Ah'm just a normal girl.just like Tammy." she paused " Ok, so maybe a little brighter than her but still, Ah'm human, honest." Carefully, she slid her hand under the tabletop, trying to surreptitiously grasp her duffel in case she had to run again. What she didn't expect was to feel her gloved hand slipping into Xander's, or to see the knowing, yet compassionate smile on his face.  
  
"Hey, it's ok," he said softly, leaning towards her and giving her hand a gentle squeeze, " I'm not going to run screaming into the night because I'm sitting with a mutant. Even if you do have horns, or a tail hidden somewhere, and granted, I haven't seen the whole package here, it still wouldn't bother me. Given the things I've seen over the past three years, the things I've had to do, sharing a meal of sorts with an attractive young woman who just happens to be a mutant is way down there on the list of horrible experiences." He gave her hand another gentle squeeze before releasing it and leaning back, waiting to see how she'd react. Marie slowly pulled her hand back out from under the table, wrapping both of them around her milkshake and staring into it as if it held the answers to life's greatest mysteries. Finally, after several long moments, she raised her eyes to meet his, and seeing absolutely no judgment in them asked, " How did you know?"  
  
The question took Xander aback for a moment, he'd expected her to try to run, to keep denying it, to try and change the subject; anything but the veiled admission. " Just put everything together so far. Your reaction to the Vampire in the alley, for starters, most people who aren't used to them generally beg for their lives. You on the other hand, tried to warn him away from something. And then there was how he reacted to touching you, almost like he was weakened. I've never been able to stake one that easily before. I usually end up with a few bumps and bruises before they turn to dust. Whatever you did, thanks for the assist." Something akin to pain flashed across her eyes as the words left his mouth * Great Xander, she obviously isn't comfortable with it and you're acting like she planned on being attacked. * Hurriedly he continued, " of course there was your reaction to the news report a couple minutes ago. But the clincher, that would be your reaction to me asking if you were. A little tip, never play poker Marie, you can't bluff to save your life."  
  
A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, " So that really was a Vampire in the alley? Ah still can't quite believe it. Ah guess Ah shouldn't be surprised though, Ah'm obviously damned with this power, or whatever you want to call it, Ah guess it's only right that there are other damned souls out there too." She paused, studying him carefully, " And you say you've fought these things before, Ah'm guessing probably some things worse too considering how you've been talking about having to see and do horrible things. So it's my turn now. Are you a mutant too?" Xander was about to answer when he noticed Tammy walking back to the table. " Here's you're check, no rush. Just pay whenever you're ready" she said, setting it down and walking off again.  
  
" I think we're being told in a very polite way that she wants us out of here," Xander said, raising a hand to forestall the protest he could see in Marie's eyes, " And no, I'm not just trying to avoid the question either. I'm not much of a poker player myself. I just think it might be a little better if we talk about things in private. I have a room at a cheap motel not to far from here if you're.." He trailed off as he noticed her slow and deliberate removal of her leather gloves.  
  
" Ah should have known. You really think that you can buy me off with a milkshake and expect me to go to bed with you?," she stepped out of her chair and stood next to his, effectively cutting off any escape he had in mind. * She's good * the soldier whispered in Xander's mind. " Well come on, Mr. hero.," she continued, " why don't you try and take me? See if you like it any more than the last guy who.." She trailed off, shaking away the memory and bringing her hands closer to his face, not caring if Tammy realized just what she was. * Hell * Marie thought * It might just be worth it to see her face when she realizes that she served a mutant.* She expected him to try to talk his way out of it, to try to run, maybe even take a swing at her, anything other than just sitting there and waiting. There was something in the way that he looked at her that made her drop her hands back to her sides and sit down. " What?" She asked, clearly annoyed.  
  
Xander let go the breathe he hadn't even been aware of holding, " I'm not afraid of you Marie." He said softly, " And I wasn't trying to get you into bed either. At least, not with me. I was going to say, if you were interested we could continue this conversation there. Or on the way there, anywhere but here really. And if you wanted, you'd be more than welcome to the bed for the night. I don't mind the couch, and it's fairly obvious that it would beat the streets, tonight anyway. That is, unless you want to try your luck with alleys again." He smiled. Marie sat back, shocked. * First he saves my life, and now he offers me his bed while he takes the couch. Maybe Ah died back in that alley and he's really an Angel* she thought.  
  
" Ah'm sorry" she whispered. " Ah didn't mean to accuse you of..well.you know. It's just that it's not everyday a girl gets rescued by a modern day knight, or prince charming or something" She noticed the slight tensing of his muscles when she referred to him as a knight and made a mental note to ask him about that later. * Maybe he really is some sort of knight* she wondered * dedicated to fighting off monsters and saving women and all that. Ah hope dragons aren't real, Vampires are bad enough". Realizing that he hadn't spoken for a couple moments she added, " Ah'm fine with going back to your room Xander, Ah trust you. If you'll excuse me, Ah'll just hit the little girl's room and then we can head out." Xander nodded and grabbed Tammy's attention, indicating that they were ready to pay as Marie went off to the women's room. .  
When she returned, she found Xander standing against the front door of the diner, her duffel slung over one shoulder. A careless smile spread across his features as she approached, making her go weak in the knees with the realization of how attractive he was. * And he actually doesn't give a damn that Ah'm a mutant * the thought flitted across her brain, followed closely by the darker * He'll care when he tries to kiss me and Ah put him in a coma for three months. Ah might as well forget him. Ah can't touch, no matter how much Ah want to.* With a smile of her own, she asked, " All set?" In response, his smile widened and he nodded, holding the door for her * And of course, he just has to be a gentleman* As soon as the door closed behind them, Marie whirled on him, " So, Mr. Not Avoiding the Question, are you or aren't you a mutant too"  
  
Xander offered her his arm, only slightly surprised when she actually took it, and began walking towards his car, " Almost, but not quite yes. " he said, noticing the questioning look she gave him he explained " My junior year of high school, my friends and I were investigating the disappearance of members of our swim team. I decided to go undercover on the team to find out what the deal was. It turned out that the coach and school nurse were using a steroid mist, developed by the soviet union to improve their Olympic swimmers, on the team. Not a horrible plan, unless you count turning into a mutant fish man and ripping out of your skin after a few exposures to the steroid. A timely plasma transfer got it out of my system before I could change." Marie stopped, staring at him as if he was insane. " What can I say, I went to a pretty unusual school," he shrugged, managing to get her walking again. Opening the passenger side door of the beautiful old car, he added, " I guess you could say that I have a vague idea of what it's like to be a mutant."  
  
Pushing the other questions that sprang to mind about his high school to the back of her mind for the moment, Marie waited for him to settle into the driver's seat before snapping. " How on earth could you have any idea at all what it's like to be a mutant? Because you almost were turned into one.which I don't quite believe by the way...big deal. You're still human. You don't have to worry about your rights being legislated because of some twist of genetics. You didn't put the first person you ever cared about into a coma with just a kiss." She began to break down a bit, tears freely flowing down her cheeks, though she didn't notice them, " You don't know what it's like to have your sleep interrupted because you steal pieces of people's minds when you touch them and you can't control it. You can't possibly have any clue what it's like to have someone else's thoughts in your head telling you to do things you'd rather die than do."  
  
Xander glanced over at her, putting the car into drive and maneuvering out of the parking lot, " There are some tissues in the glove box," he said kindly," And, you're right. I never put the first person I kissed into a coma. I did however cause the first woman I truly loved to get impaled on a rusty spike when she caught me kissing my best friend. And, thanks to the wackiness of my home town, I do have an idea of what it's like to have your mind hijacked by someone else's thoughts . Sophomore year, we took a trip to the local zoo. Should have been a nice normal trip, right? " Marie nodded, wondering where this was going. " Well, thanks to the primal spirit worshipping Zookeeper, I ended up being possessed by the spirit of a hyena. During which time, I ate our live school mascot, and attempted to rape my friend Buffy because the hyena thought she would make a good mate. That would have been bad enough to deal with, in and of itself. But in our Junior year, thanks to a chaos worshipping Englishman, everyone in town almost became whatever it was they had dressed as for Halloween. I chose to be a soldier..and lets just say the back story I cooked up for the guy wasn't the nicest in the world. What I wasn't aware of was that I'd end up being kicked to the passenger seat in my own body as his persona took over. I still have all the memories of both the hyena and the soldier. In fact, they've become more active in my mind since I was almost car jacked in New Mexico. I've got a theory that it's to keep me alive now that they've returned to the forefront of my mind, their instincts and skills have kept me out of more trouble than I care to think about. And sometimes, like tonight for example, they come in handy and let me save someone. And here we are.." he said, pulling into a parking spot out front of a dingy motel.  
  
Marie sat, stunned, in the passenger seat as he exited the car and walked to her side. Here was someone, who if he could be believed, actually did have a clue what she was going through. She looked up in surprise as he opened her door, and carefully climbed out, grabbing her duffel and following him up to the second floor room he rented. " You're serious?" she stated, more than asked, not at all surprised by the affirmative nod he gave in answer. " Just where the hell did you go to school that all this could possibly happen? I think I'll try and avoid that area if at all possible."  
  
" Sunnydale California," he said, bumping the door open with his shoulder and holding it for her. " If you're interested, I can tell you a little more about the real reality of the world a bit later. And if you wouldn't mind, I have a few questions about being a mutant. You're the only one I've ever met who hasn't immediately tried to kill me, and who can speak. Kind of rare to find those traits in the same person in my experience," he smiled.  
  
" Why later?" she asked, walking in and sitting on the god awful orange sofa in the room. It was surprisingly comfortable.  
  
" I thought you might like to take a shower first," he said. " There's an extra towel in the bathroom and a fairly soft bathrobe thing in there too if you're worried about exposed skin or anything like that." Marie's eyes lit up almost immediately, a shower. A real shower, hot water. How long had it been since she'd actually felt hot water running over her body? However there was just one little problem.  
  
" Ah don't exactly have much in the way of night clothes" she said sheepishly, looking away. " Ah usually just sleep in whatever Ah'm wearing, wherever I fall."  
  
" Not a problem," Xander said, " That is if you don't mind showing a little school spirit for a school that you never attended." Walking to the dresser he pulled out his Sunnydale swim team t-shirt, which was more than long enough to reach past her knees and tossed it to the grateful young woman. " Go ahead, enjoy your shower. I'll still be right here," he said, plopping down on the arm of a faded green chair. With a genuine smile, Marie turned and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her 


	6. The Stuff of Heroes and Nightmares

Uncommon Knowledge Chapter 5: The stuff heroes and nightmares are made of.  
  
Disclaimer: Still don't own X-Men or Buffy. After this coming weekend's high stakes poker game with Stan Lee and Joss Whedon, that may very well change. Yes, I live in my own little world, but it's ok, they know me here.  
  
Warning: This chapter eventually discusses sexual assault/rape, NC=17 due to this, viewer discretion is advised.  
  
Dedication: To my blindingly beautiful, absolutely wonderful fiancée (who'll eventually kill me for continuing to call her beautiful) I love you!  
  
Special Thanks: to my reviewers (and my muses, Marie and Xander, as well) you guys are the reason I write! Thanks for all the positive feedback and support. It really brightens an otherwise horrid day to come home and see review alerts sitting in my inbox. You guys are the greatest!  
  
We now return to our regularly scheduled fic  
  
Feeling the shower begin to turn cold, Marie hurriedly rinsed off what soap was left on her body and turned off the water. Glancing guiltily at the clock mounted by the fogged up mirror on the wall, she noted that her shower had lasted for the better part of half an hour. " Ah hope Xander isn't too mad at me for using up his hot water" she muttered softly. She'd only intended to hop in the shower for a few minutes, ten at the most, but the hot water had felt too good to leave so soon. She'd lathered up and rinsed off three times while it had lasted, and for the first time in months, she finally felt clean. Physically anyway, she wasn't sure she'd ever feel clean in any other way again. She toweled off slowly, the events of the night once again running through her head, still not quite believing her luck in meeting someone like Xander. * Ah wonder if he's serious about letting me have his bed for the night. If he is, Ah'm marrying him, power be damned. Ah guess there's only one way to find out * she smiled and stepped into her panties, pulling them up quickly before slipping Xander's swim team shirt over her head. To her delight, it fell almost to the middle of her shins, leaving the barest amount of skin exposed. Growing up in Meridian, she'd never understood why guys liked the baggy clothes look, but at the moment, she was extremely thankful that Xander did. Her arms, however, were left exposed by the shirt's short sleeves, and so, she slipped into the bathrobe Xander had mentioned, and finally the gloves that had become a second skin.  
  
Quietly slipping out of the bathroom, she was greeted by a somewhat surprising sight. Xander, knight in shining armor, protector of damsels, both human and mutant, was stretched out on the orange couch in front of the TV, watching Tom & Jerry cartoons. It was at once odd, and somehow fitting that she found him like that, and she wondered when the last time she'd been as happy as he looked was. * You know darn well when it was * she chided herself as she walked towards the couch * Before you discovered what kind of freak you are and ran away from home *. Telling herself to shut the hell up, she perched on the arm of the couch and delicately cleared her throat. Xander jumped slightly at the sound and quickly scooted over on the couch, giving her ample room to sit down.  
  
"Have a nice shower?" he asked with a smile, taking in the sight before him. Her dark brown hair was still slightly wet and pulled back from her face, save for a few strands that had plastered themselves to her forehead. The t-shirt, from what he could see, had been even longer than he thought it would be. A hint of maroon fabric peeked out from under the white bathrobe, just about mid-shin. His gaze continued to sweep over her and he had to admit two things. One, she was excellent about covering up any exposed skin, and two, she was really quite beautiful. Especially when she smiled at him like she was now. * Watch it kid * the soldier reminded him * unless you want to spend awhile in a coma. And unlike Willow, you won't have anyone professing love there when, if, you wake up. *  
  
Marie blushed slightly under his gaze and looked away, settling herself on the couch; curling her exposed ankles and feet under her, before answering., " Yea…Ah kinda used all of the hot water though. It'll probably take awhile for it to build up again"  
  
" It's ok, I'm not a stranger to the occasional cold shower." The look on her face was well worth the reply as he continued, " It really helped out during high school, since my best friends were both beautiful women" A pause " Man, I never thought my parents' inability to pay the bills on time would be considered useful". The slightly shocked, slightly amused smile that Marie had worn, slid to something else, indecision perhaps, as she clearly didn't know how to react to his last statement. * Good one Harris * he chided himself * Once again open your mouth and insert both feet. On the bright side, it took longer for you to do it than normal. Maybe it's a sign that you're growing up.* He reached over and carefully pulled a gloved hand from her lap, holding it in his and smiled, " Hey, it's ok. My parents aren't ever going to win best parents of the year or ever, hell they probably shouldn't have been allowed to reproduce, but it's ok, it's behind me and my life is all in front of me."  
  
Marie looked down at their joined hands, unsure of what to say. She was sure however, that her first impression of him as having a much easier life than hers was off, probably more off than she knew considering what he'd said about fighting vampires. * Hmmm…there's a nice conversation change * she thought, a smile fixing itself back on her face as she turned to him. " So Ah believe someone promised to tell me more about this Sunnydale after my shower. Well, Ah'm done with my shower, and not quite ready to hit the bed" She looked at him hesitantly and was reassured by the look in his eyes that he'd been serious when he offered the bed, "So, Ah'd love to hear all about this little town of yours. Ah'm warning you though, Ah don't scare easy, so don't hold anything back.."  
  
Xander couldn't help it, a slow grin spread across his face. * Don't hold anything back, huh. I hope this place has a night light she can use later on*. Leaning back against the couch he gave her hand a soft squeeze, " Ok, but just remember, you asked for it." The look she gave him clearly said to get on with it, and feeling a bit like Giles, he began " In every generation, there is a Chosen One; well in almost every generation anyway, this one's been a little messed up, but we'll get to that later. She alone will stand against the Vampires, the Demons, and the forces of Darkness. She is the Slayer…" Seeing that his opening had caught her full attention, he launched into how he and Willow had met Buffy, and their exploits from sophomore year through graduation, leaving some parts out as necessary, mainly to make the tales shorter, but also to preserve what little dignity he had. After all, she didn't need to know just how many times running like a woman had saved his life. He also added others that not even Buffy and Wills were aware of, such as his showdown with Jack over the bomb in the school's basement. During the two and a half hours it took to recount almost everything that had ever happened since meeting Buffy and learning about the reality of the world, Xander noticed that Marie had curled more and more into herself, until she was almost in a fetal ball. "Not too scared are you? I mean we can leave the lights on when we go to sleep if that'll help."  
  
" Ah'm not scared at all." She replied; trying not to think about how many times the world had almost ended without anyone knowing it, the slight tremble in her voice belied her true feelings however. " Ok, maybe a little." She eyed him speculatively before speaking again, " You're like some kind of superhero, saving the world as many times as you have."  
  
Xander smiled, " This coming from the person who actually has superhuman powers in this room? Trust me, I'm no superhero. Buffy, Willow, Dead boy, hell even Giles are closer to being superheroes than I am. I'm just the normal guy who's too stubborn to stay out of the way when his friends are in trouble."  
  
An answering smile tugged at her lips " And my power is just oh so useful. You're more of a hero than Ah am Xander. Ah mean, can you see me wearing some spandex get up and saving the world on a regular basis? Ah am, or rather was, just a normal girl with plans for the future. Now Ah'm some freak without a home, traveling from city to city and trying to avoid being noticed. Not exactly hero material, now am Ah?"  
  
He studied her carefully for a moment before replying, " I think you'd look great in some spandex get up. In fact, you'd be a real knock out; and considering your power, that could be your code name. Knock Out, the untouchable"  
  
For the first time since the discovery of her powers, Marie actually laughed about them; it was a soft, amused sound that seemed to fill the room. " Right, Ah don't think so. You on the other hand could work wonders as Ordinary Guy, saving the world by night, and getting himself into all sorts of trouble by day. You could be like Batman without the money…or the car…..or the gadgets…" She grinned, fully prepared to go on when he stopped her.  
  
"Alright, alright, I get the picture," he said, holding up a hand to forestall any more comparisons between himself and the legendary dark knight., " Look, I know I told you I have some questions about mutancy, but it's almost three a.m. Would you mind if I left them for the morning and we hit the sack…..err…you hit the sack, and I'll hit the couch," he corrected. Suppressing a yawn, Marie nodded and climbed up onto the bed, pulling the sheets around her for extra warmth. She opened her mouth to say something, but Xander beat her to it " Don't worry about the lights Marie, I'll take care of them."  
  
" Goodnight Xander," she said softly, watching as he walked over to the wall and flipped the switch, plunging the room into darkness, " And thank you. For everything." The sheets rustled as she snuggled down into the warmth, a soft sigh escaping her lips. Xander stumbled his way carefully back to the couch, miraculously avoiding stubbing his toes on anything. His mind was, of course, focused on the young woman occupying the bed and what the morning would bring. She didn't seem to have any definitive plans for the future, and neither did he. After all, with Buffy and Willow heading off to UC Sunnydale in the fall, it was likely that he'd be persona-non- grata even more than he had been over the past year. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea if he asked her to hit the road with him. It'd be nice to have company other than the voices in his head for a change.  
  
* Yea, right kid * the soldier piped up * The hellmouth has a better chance of freezing over than you do of getting her to tie herself down with you* With a sigh, Xander sat up on the couch, knowing this interior argument could last awhile. * Soldier boy's right * the hyena added, one of the few times it put its feelings into words instead of feral impulses.  
  
* Great * Xander thought, * When the two of you are agreeing on something, I know we've got a problem. However, I think you guys are wrong on this. First of all, to the accusation of her tying herself down, can we say over reaction? I'm not proposing to the girl, just thinking that she might want to stick around for awhile. It might help her to learn some self defense if she hangs out with me for awhile, I'm no Watcher, but I could give her some pointers on how to identify and avoid vampires and other demons.*  
  
* Oh, of course kid. Your motivation here is strictly altruistic* the soldier sniped, underscored by a mental chuckle from the hyena. * But, on the off chance that you honestly believe that, it still isn't going to do any good. Fur brains here tried to tell you earlier, she's not ready to settle down, and I have to agree that she's too much of a rogue to settle even enough to go on a road trip. You have to be to survive on the streets as long as she has. Maybe someday she'll be ready to accept help on a more permanent basis, but kid, the most you're going to get is helping her tonight. It's about even money that she'll be gone before you wake up in the morning.*  
  
* Alright, alright, * Xander sighed in resignation, * But you're wrong about her being out of here before I wake up* Walking into the small kitchen of the room, he gathered a few empty soda cans and arranged them in a pyramid in front of the door, hoping that Marie wouldn't think to look down if she decided to try and sneak out without saying goodbye. It wasn't the most elaborate trick in the world, he'd probably picked it up in a movie, but years of late night study sessions where his sleep could be randomly be interrupted by an irate English Watcher had trained him to be a light sleeper; the sound of falling cans would be more than enough to jerk him back into consciousness.  
  
Deciding that he wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon, Xander took a seat at the desk across from the bed, watching Marie sleep. Her face was a mask of serenity, her arms curled around the extra pillow on the bed in s tight hug. Not for the first time, he considered the possibility that if there was some sort of higher power out there, it wasn't the most benevolent; his thoughts drifting back to Sunnydale and Buffy, who's life was predestined to be cut short, in an ugly and violent manner. Now there was Marie, saddled with a power she couldn't control and could barely understand. It just wasn't fair! * Life ain't fair kid, no one ever said it was * the soldier offered * Sometimes you just play the hand you're dealt. You can't help everyone.*  
  
* Watch me * Xander shot back. As quietly as he could, he rose from the chair and walked to the dresser, opening the top drawer and pulling out a crinkled old envelope. Inside was the money he'd saved for his road trip, significantly less than it had been at the start, barely a couple hundred dollars now. It'd mean that he'd have to cut the rest of his trip short, maybe even pick up an odd job or two but….he glanced back at Marie's sleeping form and his mind was made up. Taking the remainder of the cash from the envelope, he walked back to the desk and, taking a pen and some paper from the desk drawer, wrote a short letter. Finally, he slipped the thin wad of bills and the letter into another envelope and quietly snuck it into her jacket pocket where the coat lay crumpled on the floor. He was on his way back to the couch, and hopefully a few hours of sleep, when an ear piercing shriek stopped him in his tracks.  
  
Marie sat straight up in the bed, the sheets soaked in sudden sweat and crumpled around her waist, her eyes wide open and yet unseeing, save the terror in her mind. " No! God no! Please…." Tears streamed from her eyes unabashedly. Without a second thought, Xander flew to the bed, wrapping his arms around her waist. Locked in the terror of her memory however, the sensation of being held caused Marie to lash out, striking him in the chest with a sharp elbow, eliciting a "oof" in response. The unexpected sound seemed to do the trick, and she blinked, slowly seeming to realize where she was and who she was with. " Xander?" she whispered softly; he nodded, about to ask if she was alright, when she threw herself down onto him, arms encircling his waist as she sobbed against his chest. She felt his hands begin to slowly rub her back as she cried, and slowly the tears died off to mere hiccups and whimpers. It'd been almost a month without the dream tormenting her; she'd even begun to hope that he had finally been forced out of her head. " Ah'm sorry" she whispered, pulling her head away from his chest, revealing a dark damp spot where her tears had soaked his shirt.  
  
" Hey, it's ok, I've been meaning to do the laundry anyway. You just saved me a wash cycle" he joked, but his eyes and face belied his concern. The unspoken question of was she ok evident in his expression and how he held her.  
  
" It was two months after Ah left home" she began without preamble; Xander nodded silently and continued to rub her back supportively, " Ah wasn't used to the road yet, Ah was still a fairly heavy sleeper, even on hard alleys, and for the most part, no one bothered me. One night that changed. Ah woke up to the feeling of my pants being pulled down, at first Ah thought it was someone just trying to rob me. When Ah opened my eyes, Ah saw this man, with horrible hate filled eyes, holding a knife to my throat with one hand and pulling my pants down with the other. When Ah saw that his were already down, Ah knew what he was going to do. So Ah tried to fight, to beg, anything. It didn't work…He finally got my pants and panties down and was going to put it in me when Ah tried to stop him one more time. Ah even tried to tell him Ah was a mutant, and he just laughed. God, that laugh" she shuddered and wiped away the unbidden tears spilling down her cheeks, " He tried putting it in me, and that was the last mistake he ever made. Not even a minute after that first thrust, he began to scream and fell away. But Ah…Ah got his memories….Ah wasn't the first girl he'd done that to….but Ah made sure Ah was the last. Ah picked up the knife from the ground where he dropped it and Ah shoved it into his heart and twisted….Ah…ah killed him" The last part was whispered as she broke down into sobs again, burying her face against Xander's chest.  
  
* Shit * the soldier sent as Xander pulled her closer to him * I was wrong kid, you're doing the right thing in helping this one. If she hadn't taken care of him, between you me and fur for brains, I'm sure we could have hunted the bastard down and done it.* Xander didn't acknowledge the thought, he was focused solely on Marie and comforting her. What seemed like an eternity later, she pulled her head back once more, the wet spot on his shirt considerably larger. Xander flashed her a careful smile " And you say you aren't a hero"  
  
" Ah'm not. Didn't you hear me, Ah killed a man. Not a demon, a man. A horrible man, hut a man" She said harshly.  
  
" And if you hadn't, he'd probably have killed you Marie. It's self defense, and quite frankly, no one is going to cry over that one being put in the ground. He may not have had horns or a tail, but he was a demon. He lost all traces of humanity the first time he forced himself on a woman" Xander replied softly, kindly, as if he were afraid she'd break if he was too firm in his choice of words.  
  
Tiredly, Marie simply nodded, " Hold me?" she asked plaintively. Before he could ask her what she meant, Marie laid back on the bed and arched her body up so the covers hung down under her body. Xander quickly caught on to how she meant and slipped an arm under the covers, safely protected from any accidental contact with her bare skin, the other arm wrapping itself around her waist. Marie snuggled down into his arms, her back against his chest. Though neither of the bed's occupants said a word, it was a long while before they drifted off to sleep together. 


	7. Parting is such sweet sorrow

Uncommon Knowledge Chapter 6: Parting is such sweet sorrow  
  
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I'm a worse poker player than I thought. Not only do Lee and Whedon still own X-Men and Buffy, respectively, they are also co-owners of my soul now. Let that be a lesson to you, do not play poker with executive types unless you know what the hell you're doing.  
  
Dedication: To my loving, wonderful fiancée, who is the sole owner of my heart (not that I'd gamble that) I love you and can't wait to see you again!  
  
Special Thanks: As always, to my wonderful reviewers. ( What can I say about you guys? So supportive and understanding at the same time. If I ever need an intervention, I'm calling you all!!  
  
And exit, stage left...  
  
The soft, warm rays of the early afternoon sun stretching across her face woke Marie, still snuggled in the comfort and protection of Xander's arms. Glancing at the clock near the bed, she saw that it was just after noon. Twisting carefully in his embrace, Marie turned to face the still sleeping Xander, smiling just a little as her ears picked up on his faint snoring. It had been the first time she'd ever shared a bed with a boy, and studying Xander's face quietly, she decided that there wasn't anyone she'd have rather had the experience with. * Careful * she warned herself * Thinking like that'll just lead to developing a crush on him, and you know full well that it couldn't possibly go anywhere * Her heart tightened in her chest as the full impact of the thought crashed into her. Though she'd gotten used to the idea that she couldn't touch anyone without hurting them, it'd been a long time since she'd honestly wanted to. Not for the first time, she silently cursed who, or what, ever was responsible for her being a freak. Xander snored a bit more loudly and shifted in his sleep, his arms slipping from around her and laying between them on the bed. * At least Ah can get out while he's asleep. Maybe he'll think it was just a dream. Yea, right. * Silently slipping from the bed, Marie shook her head sadly, knowing there wasn't a shot in hell that he'd think that he'd simply dreamed her up and that it would probably hurt for him to wake up to find her gone. Unfortunately, it was better this way. It had to be.  
  
Without a sound she slipped out of the bathrobe and t-shirt, smiling slightly as she thought * Maybe if he wakes up right now and sees me standing half naked he'd be more likely to think it's a dream* A giggle threatened to escape her lips and her hand flew to her mouth, suppressing it. * Right, packing, leaving..not thinking about giving Xander a heart attack. * Walking over to her duffel, she pulled out a bra, a dark red long sleeved t-shirt, and a pair of black cotton stretch pants. She dressed quickly, careful not to make too much noise as she did, and pulled her hair back, working it into a tight French braid with the skill of one not used to doing their hair in front of a mirror. Finally, she donned her trench coat and slung the duffel over her shoulder, heading for the door. Grasping the doorknob, she turned to take one final look at Xander's sleeping form, and in doing so, failed to notice the small pyramid of cans at the base of the door. As she opened the door, the sound of crashing cans drew her eyes to the floor " Shit!" the exclamation flew from her mouth unexpectedly and she slapped her hand up over her mouth quickly. However, she wasn't quite quick enough " And good morning to you too" a sleepy Xander yawned, sitting up in the bed and casually brushing a hand through his hair. " So..punching a guy in the jaw is Thank you in the South, and Shit is how you say good morning. I guess my guidance counselor was right, travel really does broaden your understanding of the world."  
  
Smiling in resignation, Marie set the duffel by the door, kicking the cans out of the way before walking back to the bed and sitting on the edge. " Ah guess you kinda figured out that Ah wasn't planning on being here when you woke up and set your little trap. Sneaky". Xander grinned and Marie felt her own smile widen in response. It'd been a long while since she'd actually had a reason to smile as often as she had in the not even twelve hours she'd known Xander, and knowing her life, it would be along while afterwards too. " Ah know you probably don't understand it Xander. But it'll just be better if Ah'm on my own for now. Ah don't want to owe anybody anything. And Ah'm terrible at goodbyes..Ah didn't even say goodbye to my parents before running off...not that they'd care. They're probably glad not to have a mutant living with them anymore.." A saddened expression crossed her face as she glanced down at her gloved hands.  
  
Feeling a little self conscious in the early morning light, Xander pulled the covers up a little further against his chest with one hand as he sat up to rub her back with the other. " If that's true, they don't know just what they're missing. My friend Buffy's mom, Joyce, kicked her out of the house after learning she was the Slayer and that Vampires were real and all. The next few months were hell on earth for her, not knowing if her daughter was alive or not. I'm sure your parents miss you too. Maybe you could try going back home?" Marie just smiled sadly and shook her head " You never know unless you try" he said softly, looking into her warm brown eyes.  
  
" Ah wish it were that simple Xander. Ah really do; but you don't understand. There were kids back in school with me in Meridian who had to transfer schools just because of rumors and allegations that they were mutants. Even though the school never officially backed those sort of things, there were teachers who weren't willing to take any chances that the rumors were true. They threatened to quit unless those students were sent to a different school. They didn't want to "catch" mutancy or something stupid like that. Meridian is a fairly small, and small minded, community. Even if my parents took me back in, it wouldn't matter to everyone else who knew what Ah did to Cody with just a kiss" She sighed sadly before continuing; her gaze returning to her hands as she spoke. " So Ah can't really go back home. 'Sides, now Ah get to see the world. Ah'm thinking of heading up to New York for a bit next, then Canada, and eventually Alaska. Ah'm not a big fan of the cold or anything, but at least there no one will look at me funny for keeping covered up."  
  
Dropping the covers from his chest, Xander swung his legs out over the edge of the bed and stood up, walking to the dresser. " Ok, I get the whole, desire to be alone and isolated thing. Really. But I was planning on driving to all fifty states anyway, and since Alaska would fall into that category, being a state and all. Why don't we go it together for a bit? I wasn't planning on heading back to Sunnydale..well.ever, but as we've seen it seems that the good old hellmouth doesn't seem to have the lock on Vamps. We could travel together, watch each other's backs. I could teach you about Vampires and demons..what I know anyway. I'm not exactly Watcher material, but I've learned enough over the past few years to keep me going.." As he trailed on, Xander focused on pulling what clothes he'd packed for his trip from the dresser, folding them, and placing them on the bed. As a result, he missed the shock on Marie's face at his suggestion. An expression that stayed there for a moment, before shifting into a brief hope and finally, irrevocably, sliding into a depressed resignation.  
  
" Xander," She said softly, catching his attention mid-fold, " Ah appreciate the offer, really. But it just wouldn't work. Ah wouldn't mind the ride or the company, if things were different...if Ah were different, normal. But Ah'm not and things are what they are. You wanted to know what Ah know about being a mutant. It can be summed up in one word: dangerous. Ah've been on the road for a couple of months now, and Ah haven't so much as met another mutant. And you know why?" She sat on the edge of the bed, taking the shirt he was holding from his hands and setting it down on the bed before taking his bare hands in her gloved ones, " Because every mutant who's come forward so far, who has just wanted to be accepted as they are has been met with anger and fear. Ah have a better chance of not drawing attention to myself if Ah travel alone. Now, Ah know you're very into protecting women in distress or whatever, but do you really think you could save me from a mob? The people attacking mutants aren't monsters, despite their actions, you can't just kill them and expect society to look the other way. And it's not like Ah like running and hiding, but for now, it's the best way for me to stay alive. You're a nice guy Xander, you don't deserve to be drawn in to my mess of a life. Ah'm not saying you should go back to Sunnydale if you don't want to, from what you've told me Ah wouldn't be in a hurry to get back there either. What Ah'm trying to say is, you deserve to live a normal life, and with me, you're not going to have that." She released his hands sadly and once again headed for the door, surreptitiously removing her gloves as she did so, and tossed a casual " Goodbye Xander, and thank you" over her shoulder.  
  
Xander sat on the bed for a moment before springing up after her, " You're leaving me for my own good?! Did I not tell you how that's exactly the attitude Buffy and Wills have? The poor normal guy, he can't handle our lifestyle, he should be protected for his own good. What if I don't want a normal life, ok? It's my life, and I have the right to choose how I want to live it.." Intent on reaching the door before Marie could, Xander failed to notice her now bare hands until it was too late. His last conscious thought as her hands gently cupped his cheeks was * I knew that she'd have a gentle touch *. He then proceeded to drop to the floor, convulsing violently as his body fought to regain the strength it had just lost.  
  
After the initial wash of memories and experiences had subsided somewhat, Marie bent down and lifted Xander's prone form into her arms, carrying him back to bed and tucking him in before putting her gloves back on. She sat on the edge, watching him with watering eyes until the convulsions were completely over, " Ah'm sorry Xander. You're a great guy, and Ah wish that..well..if things were different we'd probably have never met, but Ah wish that Ah could take you with me. But Ah just need to be alone right now. And Ah know you probably can't hear me, but listen up anyway. After seeing what's inside your head, Ah honestly think you should go back to Sunnydale. Even if no one else ever knows that a normal guy can save the world, at least you and Ah will. And even though Ah'm cursed, Ah wouldn't trade the world being here for anything, because there are guys like you in it. Take care Xander." She brushed her gloved fingers once more through the dark brown curls of his hair and stood, then walked out the door, grabbing her duffel on the way, making sure that it closed securely behind her. When Xander wouldn't be able to go down to pay for another night in the room or check out , she knew that the manager would find his prone form and call the hospital. The thought of paying for the room triggered a memory in her mind that she instantly recognized as Xander's. " He didn't" she breathed softly. Reaching into the pocket of her coat, Marie felt her fingers brush against the stiff edge of an envelope. She pulled the envelope out slowly, not quite believing what Xander's memory told her, and her fingers trembled slightly as she slid a nail along the edge, tearing it open. " My god" she whispered as a wad of bills spilled out of it into her hand. Quickly counting through it she saw that it was well over five hundred dollars. Marie turned and was set to march back into the motel room and put the money back when a sheet of paper inside the envelope caught her eye. Pulling it out quickly, she saw that it was a letter from Xander and sat down on the curb to read it. " Marie, if you're reading this then one of two possibilities has happened. One, you've let me come with you and I told you to look in your pocket. Don't be surprised, I knew that you were planning on leaving when we talked tonight, it was something in your eyes. However, I doubt you let me come with you, which brings us to possibility two. You convinced me to stay, and I'm sitting and sulking in the room. Ok, so that's not too likely either knowing how stubborn I am. Which brings us to possibility number three..ok so there are three possibilities. Can you believe I'm a high school graduate? Anyway, the third possibility is that I'm unconscious right now, thanks to your powers. Let me assure you that I understand, and I don't want you feeling bad for using them on me. I also want you to keep the money. If you're going to be on the road for a while, it might help you get to wherever you're going. Though part of me knows you're too much of a rogue to accept help or settle down right now, don't be afraid to ask people for help if you need it and to trust your instincts. And if you ever are ready to settle down, feel free to drop me a line and let me know how you're doing. Your friend, Xander". Wiping tears from her eyes that she wasn't even aware of, Marie cast one last look at the room she'd left before walking away, whispering " Thank you again Xander". Standing on the edge of the road she stuck out a thumb and put on the most innocent and hopeful face she could manage through her tears until a car finally pulled over to the side.  
  
It was a yellow Volkswagen bug, driven by a girl who appeared to be about her own age, who motioned for her to climb inside. Marie opened the door and awkwardly worked her way into the passenger seat and buckled up with a quiet "Thanks".  
  
The driver smiled kindly, " Anytime. It's not my place to say anything, but from the looks of it you're probably in some sort of trouble right? Well, don't worry I can take you somewhere safe if you want. My name's Kelly by the way. What's yours?"  
  
Though she didn't feel much like talking, Marie managed a small smile, " Mar..My name's Rogue" she said. If Kelly had noticed the quick correction, she didn't say anything about it. " Well Rogue, it's nice to meet you" she said cheerfully. "Where are you headed?"  
  
"Anywhere" Rogue said tiredly, resting her head against the window. 


	8. Author's After note

Author's After note.  
  
Disclaimer: Just to be on the safe side. The characters in the preceding story are the property of Mutant Enemy and Marvel respectively.  
  
Thanks to all of my reviewers who helped me through the writing process of this fic. Sorry it took me so long to get the final chapter up, but my free time disappeared faster than I expected at the end of the summer and school's been keeping me hopping. This is also proof that I'm still alive to all of those who may have wondered if I was still with the living. Thanks again for all your support and kind words. Hopefully I'll get started on something again soon. 


End file.
